Louis & Lewis, Smith & Hamilton, Formula 1 & Gymnastics

Formula 1 World Champion 2016 Nico Rosberg !!!!

For me Rosberg deserved to win the championship this year, 

I do not however believe he is the best racing driver on the grid and yesterday we said goodbye to 2 greats Massa and Button. 2 great talents in a small pool of awesome drivers which includes for me Alonso, vettel and of course Lewis Hamilton, who has to be the best driver in Formula 1 right now. But watch out Max Verstappen is coming and he is going to kick everyones ass. 

 I bet Hamilton was quite deflated at not reigning world champion anymore, having won 3 times.  

Earlier this year we witnessed the specticle that is the Olympics where Max Whitlock stormed through to win a number of medals and become the most successful British Male Gymnast, Well deserved in my opinion. In doing so he took the title away from Louis Smith and this was in addition to Louis standing next to a successful Max at the British Championships in liverpool earlier in the year. Louis Smith was quite visibly gutted, and has since apologised for the way his response looked. 

There's the background and now I will go on to explain how I feel both of the above have let fans down. 

Louis Smith MBE

 Last Month we were reading the headlines that an Olympian who has dedicated his life to his sports has been suspended due to some stupidity on his behalf and I will not be defending him here for his actions.
     I will however pass on a little advice to him (assuming he ever reads this). My career was damaged by similar stupidity albeit not my comments and my political career still hasn't fully recovered 7 years on, friends made jokes and I found it funny at the time. Take this as an opportunity to reflect and regroup, sort yourself out, review friendships and interactions with friends and more than anything else move forward. Social media is like an Olympic final, its great to be part of it but a small slip and it's dangerous and can be all over.
   I'm much more reflective now
Louis Smith  has for me become more arrogant over recent years and I has watched this happen. Maybe fame takes its toll, or maybe to complete immersion that the sport demands has limited horizons, But the bottom line is that his behaviour this year has been an embarrassment and a let down to all his fans.

Lewis Hamilton

Yesterday I watched the last grand prix of the season. and what a fantastic race it could have been, 12 points separated Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Lewis needed a win but Nico only needed 3rd.
Formula 1 ! the pinnacle of motorsport ! the fastest drivers combine with the fastest machines to display skill and take the win. (I say fastest machines I have opinions on the regulations of the sport).

Yesterday we witnessed a racing driver (I'd say the best in the world) not doing what i would expect. Hamilton was not driving as fast as he could smashing lap records but deliberately driving slowly!!! the championship this year was decided by the performance of driver and car throughout the whole season taking us right to the last race. The only guys racing near the front were 3rd and 4th, 5 laps from the end i turned to my wife and said this is crap I didn't turn on to watch this. I felt really let down.
I remember being in a pub in my youth when the track Love Me Tender came on the karaoke a guy sat near me said "God I hate this, the king of rock n roll singing ballads what was he doing". I thought of this yesterday "the fastest driver in the world going slow".
Is it anything for a win? Is deliberately going slow attempting to fix a result in the same way a cricketer may drop a catch or as goal keeper may let one in ?
Maybe I'm being harsh but something about a driver going slow in Formula 1 doesn't feel right.

2017 new cars, new regs, I think Redbull and Verstappen may well be in the mix at the top of the championship.

Louis and Lewis, good luck in the future and learn from 2016

Fake News, Read all about it!

Since Donald Trump was announced President Elect the media and pollsters have been running round trying to work out how it happened and whilst I do not necessarily agree that one of their conclusions was correct I do think there's something to this story. The election was affected by fake news particularly fake news shared on facebook.

  I don't think it had much of an impact but every vote counts as it did with brexit. The difference was that either side were creating the brexit fake news whereas here we see something more sinister. The allegation is that due to the business model of facebook it is profitable to create and have fake news shared. Therefore anything can be said just for the sake of profit and we all know where this is going... the more sensational the story the less it relates to reality the more it will be shared and the more profit is made.

    STOP RIGHT THERE!!! What about the poor gullible teenagers and young people who believe this crap.  I have a daughter who often walks into a room and starts a conversation with -
     "oh my god have you heard about...."
to which my reply is either
     "Where have you been?"   or
     "Really! Where did you read that" or
      "That is complete......"
And then get "it's true I read it on facebook!"

This gets me thinking again does everyone know you can't believe everything you read.

I stopped writing the blog as I was drawn into a conversation with a blogger (like proper blogger, she has 16000 comments on her blog I have 16, www.simplybeingmum.com) a barrister and a university medical lecturer. We were talking about Trump ,brexit and this story.

Can't we believe all we read, the conversation I had assumed everyone knew we shouldn't, and whilst we noted that the printed press is regulated both they and the virtual press or social media have the chance to produce some far fetched stuff. Then there's the situation of a true story but the facts are presented after many would have stop reading. The medical lecturer explained he had recently read a story that he thought simply didn't make sense (here's a link) it wasn't until he got to the last few sentences that his thoughts were confirmed as an expert stated is story was unlikely. But this was a story on the BBC so it must be real, just like the famous War of the Worlds reading or BBC program Ghostwatch.

  I think this reinforces how we should  be careful I do think many believe believe without question something they have read, I've heard people say it's true I read it in the paper on the letters page. Why we are persuaded by text more so than spoken word, I wonder if it's a historical trait from the great philosophers. 

This blog has really gone off at a tangent!!

I think we should all reflect and consider what we read especially in the day and age of social media. And when it comes to politics elections and referendum the best hope you have is the leaflets the candidates produce. Good luck

The 'fake' news that really annoys me is the sort that is repeated so many times the masses believe it, the one in particular is the American view of the ethnic make up of the UK.
throughout the us election we heard it repeated as a fact and I have seen many videos on Youtube stating as a fact that the uk population is 50% muslim ? Firstly so what if it was. Secondly this is simply not correct and woe betide anyone who comments on a youtube video to state its not true as they will get a torrent of abuse.

I think the 2 parts that annoy me with this fake news is the fact that its spread with dark undertones of racism and has no basis, but when senior US campaigners are spreading this what chance has the average american got. The UK is a great place which has been built on diversity and acceptance a place where we have been able to walk shoulder to shoulder with people from different cultures, religions and backgrounds, It annoys me the this can be damaged by scaremongering by the ignorant and the perpetuation allows those who try to use religion as a reason for terrorism to win, Muslims are not terrorist, in the same way Catholics became alienated by the Terrorism of Guy Fawkes.  Terrorist are nothing more than terrorist.

Ok getting excited there, but I will share the figures of the UK's religious breakdown just for any ill informed readers.

Detailed 2015 BSA survey on religion in the UK Affiliation % of U.K. population
Christian 42 %

Church of England 17%

Other Christian 17%

Roman Catholic 8%

Unaffiliated 49 %

Non-Christian faiths 8 %

Muslim 5%

Other Non-Christian faiths 3%

Don't know/refused answer 1%

Total
100 %

Triumphant Trump

So there we have it after what I would describe as the most sensational election I've ever seen Donald Trump wins to becomes the 45th American President!

I've just listened to his speech

I've just listened to his speech and immediately there seems a mellowing of  retoric. America will be a nation for all, for all races. And I feel we will see more of this as Trump gets nearer and becomes president. This is not because he was trying to mislead or lie this is to me the result that we see often and damages political opinion. He we have the first American president never to have been elected to office and never to have served in the military, when he was campaigning he was genuinely making those commitments in the belief he can deliver things like the wall. Donald Trump will now have get to grips with political systems and process as well as a huge learning curve about how sometimes things have become so integrated it's incredibly hard to unpick. He will be judged on this and as he has already spoke of a corrupt system he willbe under particular pressure. This may perpetuate the 'all politicians can't be believed' myth. There are a great many hard working honest politicians out there tarred with brush of corruption, in the workplace I have been introduced to visitors by managers who have said "this is Jeremy, don't believe a word he says he's a politician".

Anyway back to the American result, shock horror the polls have get it wrong Again just as they did in the referendum just like they did in the 2015 general election, but combined with the popular press many results have been predicted incorrectly for years. Throughout  the first 15 years of the 2000's we saw the BBC and others on the grass outside the Houses of Parliament the morning after local elections stating surprise wins for the Tory's, being in politics the only people surprised were the TV crews on the grass. So what's gone wrong?

Today we read the financial markets are in chaos due to Trump's success, I have a question press, pollsters, bankers etc who is running our politics? And this brings me back to my 3 paragraph with Trump's pledges. How many of the reported pledges were mere sound bites from sections of speeches without the full context. Yes I know this is an excuse abused often. Just after midnight I heard an interview of a Trump supporter, the reporter said 'we heard what Donald Trump wants to do but we have not heard how he will do it " the supporter replied "at a rally 10 days ago Donald Trump explained exactly what he will do in his first 100 days". Hmm? Something not reported.

I think we need to stay calm and see what happens, panicking ain't gonna help.

Back in July I was talking to someone fresh back from the states who said "he's going to win you know, there's a lot of Silent Trumpers!"

Guy Fawkes Night

When I started typing I had no idea where this was going to go, so an unexpected entry here!

This weekend many of us watched bonfires and fireworks lighting up the sky.
    Tamworth Borough Council put on yet another fantastic free outdoor event with tens of thousands watching a superb display, this event was re introduced by then Councillor Bruce Boughton who fought for its return as a safer way to enjoy the celebration and bring communities together.

It was whilst I was stood watching the fireworks I wondered how many people there have thought about what they are celebrating and how much tradition has been maintained and how much has been lost.

  On the 5th November in Great Britain we are celebrating a foiled terrorist attack on parliament which was religiously driven. Guy Fawkes was found guarding explosives under parliament to kill the then king James I and replace him with a catholic king. Once Fawkes was caught the people of London celebrated by lighting fires and not to long later the day was made a public holiday.
   Now we have fireworks and a bonfire but some tradition is ebbing away like the penny for the guy, I vaguely remember doing this once or twice. dress up a guy put it in a wheel barrow and walk the street knocking doors asking for cash. it seems this has been replaced with trick or treat, I might have to push my kids to bring that back next year.

     In the past this celebration has been used as a way of promoting sectarianism but fortunately these days are over in relation to religious divide but not all sectarian activities on November the 5th have ended. This weekend we would have read the news of anti capitalist protests in London, (I must add I do not have a problem with peoples right to protest) we read that there had been a number of arrests during the protest and prior to it starting police had requested people remain well behaved. Protesting is a great way of bringing attention to your cause and this years seemed calmer than in the past but i wonder how sensitive or over sensitive we have become to protests. November the 5th has been used in previous centuries for protests between class divisions particularly in Guildford etc and this is what we see to an extent in London.
I am aware of Anonymous and their adoption of the Guy Fawkes mask but they just didn't fit into this blog aside from the role they play in protests, like many other groups.

  And then we have the towns that burn  effigies, I have to say whilst i would find it quite offensive and scary if someone had chosen to burn an effigy of me. I do find it slightly amusing that CNN and other US news channels are reporting "England is burning trump effigies". it is interested though to look at the other effigies of famous people that have been voted on and burnt in the past.
watch CNN's video here


 So I wonder how much of a conflict in 'tradition' we have on Guy Fawkes night and is there a place for all elements to celebrate in their own way.
      I do hope there are two things that I will push, bring back the public holiday (for the right reasons its a long way from august to christmas) and bring back penny for the guy. Lets make sure we enjoy what we have and keep traditions alive.

The country leaving the EU maybe delayed due to processes on the line

The saga continues around triggering article 50 and Great Britain leaving the EU, this week (as has been the case since the start of the year) the headlines have been dominated by Brexit and a legal challenge.

I have spent most of the week ranting that we had the referendum in June and the government must now implement the exit from the EU. We had a referendum and the result was to leave, since there there has been attempt after attempt to delay or derail our exit.  I voted to remain but the result is to and now want to see all efforts to get our position straight and leave the EU.

  So for the week I've been moaning about the increased legal challenges to our political decisions and this years seems to have had more than others. We had a referendum, we decided, end of story get on a deliver.


And then this morning it struck me the decision of the judges for a parliamentary vote is in fact the right process. We are Great Britain and we have our ways of doing things and we do them properly.
In June we voted in a referendum which gave an indication and i would say an instruction to our Government to leave the EU. It wasn't until this morning that I realised no decision has been made, this choice has not gone thought the governance that our nations decisions have to go through and that is through parliament. The systems we have are the systems that make Great Britain the place it is and until parliament have voted we do not have a sovereign decision. we have to have a decision made by our elected decision makers and they must act in the way they have been instructed by the population, each constituency had a count and so the results are there for each MP to consider as well as the final result.

So this should be simple albeit a pain in the arse.

1. Government get a plan together with a prospective offer,
2.  put it through parliament, 
3. Mp's listen to the referendum result, Don't look for bits of detail to try and delay the inevitable, don't tie this up in scrutiny all that can be done as negotiations take place on individual matters
4.  get article 50 triggered so negotiations can begin. 

Happy Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Solstice

Halloween and the half term break is over so back to school go the kids. This year they have spent the whole break doing crafts based on Halloween and last night had some friends round to have fun and eat.

Do remember when Halloween was just about carving a pumpkin or a group of small kids dressed up going trick or treating with innocence and under the supervision of an adult, earlier I was reminiscing about one neighbour coming out onto his roof and throwing stuff down onto us at his door, I think it was flour. We would then all go to the organisers house and evenly share our gatherings.
I even remember carving swede rather than the pumpkin made popular by the Americans.

Today is I created a box labelled "Halloween" and containing the decorations of this year,  this will go with the ones labelled "Christmas" which will come out in a few weeks with Christmas only 53 days away and so our festive decorations collection grows. A week of crafts and Family time distracting away from phones tablets, social media and computer games

I have pondered Christmas decorations out of season for a while and with the exception of the efforts of hobbycraft I feel we let other festivities down.  This year we created a Halloween wreath for the front door, in a few weeks the Christmas one will be there and a few months later the bunny shaped Easter Wreath we made this year will go up, then the door will be bare till Halloween again. WELL UNLESS I GET MY WAY!

With my family I am going to have decorations up 4 times a year and would love others to join in, let's get crafty and get some decs up. Christmas, Easter, mid summer solstice and Halloween let's celebrate these with feasting decorations and a wreath on the door. For the Christian element the latter 2 are All saints and St. John's day,

When I were a kid (this blog seems to have a lot of my memories of childhood) we used to go to Cornwall for the same fortnight each year and on summer solstice we'd park at the side of a country road, clamber through gourse bushes and up a damp hill where we'd find a stack of wood and sometimes tyres. From here we would look along the coast , searching and waiting in anticipation to see the distant flicker of flame from the next beacon, this was the sign for the builders of the fire we were at to light ours and so the signal was passed on as the sun set on summer solstice .

So less all do it, challenge for 2017 4 wreaths on our front doors
Christmas, Easter, summer solstice and Halloween,

Let's do this!!

Just need a wreaths hash tag